David E. Kelley, Michael Connelly ABC Series ‘Avalon’ Taps Dana Calvo to Serve as Showrunner

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLouis Partridge has joined the cast of the upcoming Apple psychological thriller series “Disclaimer,” Variety has learned exclusively.Partridge joins previously announced series leads Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline and cast members Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Hoyeon.Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight, “Disclaimer” will star Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to a semi-autobiographical comedy series starring Pete Davidson, Variety has learned.The series, title “Bupkis,” was first reported as being on the market back in March, with Peacock acquiring it in a competitive situation. Davidson serves as a writer and executive producer on the show in addition to starring. The half-hour comedy is described as a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson’s real life.

EXCLUSIVE: Steven Pasquale (American Crime Story: The People v OJ Simpson), Stephanie Szostak (A Million Little Things) and Tony Curran (Your Honor) are set for key recurring roles in David E. Kelley’s The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File. Details of their characters are being kept under wraps.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Raising Dion” has been canceled at Netflix after two seasons, Variety has confirmed.Series star Sammi Haney shared the news with fans on Instagram, writing in part, “Sad to say that Raising Dion is CANCELED [sic] Thank you for all of the amazing support we got from all of our wonderful fans! Season 2 was a success, equal to Season 1, even if just looking at how many people watched all of it and wanted a season 3!”“Raising Dion” first premiered on Netflix in 2019, with Season 2 of the show launching in February 2022. It followed the story of Nicole (Alisha Wainwright) and her son Dion (Ja’Siah Young) after Dion starts to manifest several mysterious, superhero-like abilities.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix spy series led by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro has set its main cast, Variety has learned.Appearing in series regular roles in the series are: Jay Baruchel, Aparna Brielle, Andy Buckley, Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Barbara Eve Harris, Gabriel Luna, Fabiana Udenio, and Travis Van Winkle. Additionally, the following actors will appear in recurring roles: Devon Bostick, David Chinchilla, Rachel Lynch, Stephanie Sy, and Scott Thompson.Full character descriptions for all the new cast members can be found below.The untitled spy drama was ordered at Netflix in May 2021, with the streamer giving the one-hour show an eight episode order.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBenjamin Bratt has been cast in the Natasha Lyonne-led Peacock series “Poker Face,” which hails from creator Rian Johnson.Variety has learned exclusively that Bratt is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding cast. Another recently announced cast members include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda. Plot and character details for the series are being kept largely under wraps, though sources say the show will follow a procedural format and see Lyonne’s character working to solve different murders in each episode.Bratt most recently appeared opposite Rosario Dawson in the HBO Max limited series “DMZ,” which debuted in March on the streamer.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Goldbergs” has been renewed for Season 10 at ABC.However, questions still remain about how the single-camera comedy series will handle Jeff Garlin’s character, Murray Goldberg, going into the new season.Garlin exited “The Goldbergs” in December following an investigation into the comedian’s onset behavior after he was  accused of misconduct. Variety exclusively reported that Garlin would still be a part of Season 9 through the use of off-camera dialogue pulled from earlier episodes and unused takes, as well as previously shot images of Garlin.According to an individual with knowledge of the production, official plans for Garlin’s character are forthcoming, but it is likely that he will be written off the show.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIone Skye has joined the upcoming Netflix series “Beef” in a guest starring role, Variety has learned exclusively.The 10-episode dramedy series will be led by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. It follows two people who find themselves involved in a road rage incident that begins to consume every thought and action of their lives.Netflix would not comment on the details of Skye’s character, but sources say she is a mysterious woman whose mere presence haunts one of the lead characters.Along with Yeun, Wong, and Skye, the cast for the series also includes Young Mazino, Joseph Lee, David Choe, and Patti Yasutake, while Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H.

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing) has been tapped to direct and co-executive produce Apple limited series The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s bestselling novel of the same name, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Garner. Angourie Rice also stars.

Netflix just dropped the first trailer for “The Lincoln Lawyer”.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV CriticThere’s a brutally silly device at work in “Anatomy of a Scandal,” Netflix’s new London-set limited series. At key moments, often the end of an episode, one character or another will become suddenly destablized, a process depicted by them flying backwards in the air or falling down.

The debut trailer for Netflix‘s The Lincoln Lawyer series has just dropped!

Dana Calvo (Good Girls Revolt) has been tapped as showrunner and executive producer on ABC’s Avalon, a drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley (Big Sky, Big Little Lies), A+E Studios and 20th Television. It’s slated to be part of ABC’s 2022-2023 programming slate.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Madden, the president of Berlanti Productions, is departing the company, Variety has confirmed.Madden has been the president of Berlanti Productions since 2020. He will leave the company at the end of the month, when his contract expires. No replacement has been named at this time.In his time at the Warner Bros.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to the comedic thriller “Based on a True Story.”The series hails from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Craig Rosenberg. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films will also executive produce, with Roxie Rodriguez of Aggregate co-executive producing.

Don’t ever expect Michelle Pfeiffer to team up with her husband David E. Kelley!

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJessica Alba will star in a series adaptation of the book “Confessions On the 7:45,” which is currently in development at Netflix.The show will be based on the Lisa Unger book of the same name. It is described as a psychological thriller about a working mom (Alba) who meets a stranger on a train as she is commuting home who upends her life.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterTom Hiddleston is set to star in the Apple limited series “The White Darkness,” Variety has learned.The series is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann. It is inspired by the true life account of Henry Worsley (Hiddleston), a devoted husband and father, a former soldier, a man of deep honor and sacrifice, but also a man deeply obsessed with adventure, manifesting in an epic journey crossing Antarctica on foot.Soo Hugh, who most recently created and showran the Apple series “Pachinko,” will serve as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on “The White Darkness.” Mark Heyman will executive produce and co-showrun. “Pachinko” executive producer Theresa Kang-Lowe and Caroline Garity of Blue Marble Pictures will also executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has greenlit the pyschological thriller series “Constellations” with Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks attached to star, Variety has learned.In “Constellation,” Rapace stars as Jo, a woman who returns to Earth after a disaster in space only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The series is further described as a space adventure, an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman’s desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and for her to recover all that she has lost.Apple has given the show a 10 episode order.